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8-15
Driving tips
– CONTINUED –
train of your vehicle and may affect ride, han-
dling, braking and speedometer/odometer cali-
bration. It also may be dangerous and lead to
loss of vehicle control. "Do not use a combination of radial, belted
bias or bias tires since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead to an acci-
dent.
Your vehicle is equipped with “all season tires” as orig-
inal equipment, which are designed to provide an ad-
equate measure of traction, handling and braking per-
formance in year-round driving. In winter, it may be
possible to enhance performance through use of tires
designed specifically for winter driving conditions.
The optional 215/45R17 tires for the WRX are summer
tires. Compared with winter and all-season tires, sum-
mer tires give significantly less grip on snowy and icy
road surfaces. Therefore, use of winter tires is strongly
recommended when driving with such road conditions.
When you choose to install winter tires on your vehi-
cle, be sure to use the correct tire size and type. You
must install four winter tires that are of the same size,
construction, brand and load range and you should
never mix radial, belted bias or bias tires since this
may result in dangerous handling characteristics.
When you choose a tire, make sure that there is enough clearance between the tire and vehicle body.
Remember to drive with care at all times regardless of
the type of tires on your vehicle. !
WRX-STi"When replacing original tires with winter
(snow) tires, make sure you use only the same
size, construction and load range as the origi-
nal tires listed on the tire placard. Using other
sizes and construction may affect speedome-
ter/odometer calibration and clearance be-
tween the body and tires. It also may be danger-
ous and lead to loss of vehicle control." You must install four winter tires that are of
the same size, construction, brand, and load
range. Mixing other sizes or constructions may
result in severe mechanical damage to the drive
train of your vehicle and may affect ride, han-
dling, braking and speedometer/odometer cali-
bration. It also may be dangerous and lead to
loss of vehicle control. " Do not use a combination of radial, belted
bias or bias tires since it may cause dangerous
handling characteristics and lead to an acci-
Page 435 of 491

11 - 5 0
Maintenance and service
!
Tire rotation
Tire wear varies from wheel to wheel. To maximize the
life of each tire and ensure that the tires wear uniform-
ly, it is best to rotate the tires every 7,500 miles
(12,500 km). Rotating the tires involves switching the
front and rear tires on the right-hand side of the vehicle
and similarly switching the front and rear tires on the
left-hand side of the vehicle. (Each tire must be kept
on its original side of the vehicle.)
Replace any damaged or unevenly worn tire at the
time of rotation. After tire rotation, adjust the tire pres-
sures and make sure the wheel nuts are correctly
tightened. After driving approximately 600 miles (1,000 km),
check the wheel nuts again and retighten any nut that
has become loose. !
Tire replacement
The wheels and tires are important and integral parts
of your vehicle’s design; they cannot be changed arbi-
trarily. The tires fitted as standard equipment are opti-
mally matched to the characteristics of the vehicle and
were selected to give the best possible combination of
running performance, ride comfort, and service life. It
is essential for every tire to have a size and construc-
tion matching those shown on the tire placard and to
have a speed symbol and load index matching those
shown on the tire placard.
Using tires of a non-specified size detracts from con-
trollability, ride comfort, braking performance, speed-
ometer accuracy and odometer accuracy. It also cre-
ates incorrect body-to-tire clearances and inappropri-
ately changes the vehicle’s ground clearance.
All four tires must be the same in terms of manufactur-
er, brand (tread pattern), construction, and size. You
are advised to replace the tires with new ones that are
identical to those fitted as standard equipment.
For safe vehicle operation, SUBARU recommends re-
HSB056BA
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14-6
Index
Keys
.................................................................................. 2-2
L
Leather seat materials ............................................... 10-6
Light control switch ..................................................... 3-29
Limited slip differential (LSD) .................................7-27
Loading your vehicle .................................................. 8-17
LSD (Limited slip differential) .................................7-27
M
Main fuse ........................................................................ 11-63
Maintenance Precautions .............................................................. 11-3
Schedule ................................................................... 11-3
Seatbelt ..................................................................... 1-27
Tools ........................................................................... 9-24
Manual climate control system ..............................4-4
Manual transmission 5 speed ..................................................................... 7-15
6 speed ..................................................................... 7-12
Manual transmission oil ............................................ 11-28
Map light ................................................................ 6-3, 11-77
Maximum load limits .................................................. 8-29
Meters and gauges .............................................. 3-7, 3-15
Mirrors .............................................................................. 3-44
Moonroof .............................................................. 2-31, 9-23N
New vehicle break-in driving –
the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) ........................8-2
O
Odometer/Trip meter .......................................... 3-8, 3-15
Off road driving .............................................................. 8-8
Oil pressure warning light .........................................3-21
Oil filter .............................................................................. 11-12
Oil level
Engine ......................................................................... 11-11
Manual transmission ............................................. 11-28
Rear differential ...................................................... 11-34
Outside mirrors .............................................................. 3-47
Overheating engine ..................................................... 9-16
P
Parking Brake ........................................................................... 7-34
Brake stroke ............................................................. 11-44
Light switch ............................................................... 3-34
Tips .............................................................................. 7-35
Power
Door locking switches .......................................... 2-5
Steering ...................................................................... 7-28
Steering fluid ............................................................ 11-36